🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Chinese people have long had habits of health preservation and tonification. With the popularity of "Dae Jang Geum," pharmacological diets have become a focal topic of discussion. Some health food manufacturers and hotels have taken advantage of this trend by launching numerous promotional campaigns. Therefore, here are common misconceptions about pharmacological diets to remind people.
Misconception One: Pharmacological diets are equivalent to tonics
With general improvement in living standards, people increasingly invest in their health, leading to rampant盲目 supplementation. In reality, traditional Chinese medicine has eight treatment methods: sweating, vomiting, purging, harmonizing, warming, clearing, tonifying, and purgation, among which tonification is just one. Thus, health preservation must involve identifying constitution and symptoms before determining whether tonification is needed. As for pharmacological diets, depending on the ingredients used, they can be warming, clearing, tonifying, or purgative. Therefore, pharmacological diets are not equivalent to tonics. Some hotels indiscriminately add tonics to every dish, serving them to everyone regardless of gender, age, or need—this is essentially gambling with consumers’ health.
Misconception Two: Self-purchasing and preparing pharmacological diets
Since the ingredients in pharmacological diets are both food and medicine, blending medicine into food, many people believe these diets don’t require prescriptions and can be self-made. However, the key to using pharmacological diets lies in syndrome differentiation. One should consult a TCM practitioner to identify constitution and syndrome type, then select appropriate diets to achieve good results. Otherwise, it may do more harm than good. Although most ingredients in pharmacological diets are both medicinal and edible, they still carry medicinal biases. Proper use turns these biases into healing agents; improper use turns them into causes of illness.
Misconception Three: Elderly people should eat more pharmacological diets
Elderly individuals and those with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases should not blindly supplement. Many elderly patients have excess pathological products like blood stasis and phlegm that need to be expelled. While they may exhibit signs of deficiency such as palpitations, pale complexion, cold limbs, shortness of breath, and fatigue, their deficiency stems from pre-existing blood stasis and phlegm obstructing qi and blood flow. The correct approach is to resolve stasis and eliminate phlegm first, thereby restoring normal organ function and achieving smooth qi and blood circulation.
Misconception Four: Men suffering from infertility should eat more pharmacological diets
Currently, male erectile dysfunction and infertility are increasing, and media advertisements promoting prevention and treatment are widespread. Many fall into the trap of taking yang-tonifying pharmacological diets. Diets made with deer antler, ginseng, and bull penis attract many male patients. Traditional treatments focus on tonifying the kidneys, but results are often unsatisfactory. Instead, methods that regulate liver qi and emotional well-being often prove effective. Thus, patients with erectile dysfunction and infertility should avoid relying on yang-tonifying diets and seek proper diagnosis and treatment at reputable hospitals.
In summary, pharmacological diets originate from Chinese culture and are closely related to traditional Chinese medicine. Using them requires basic knowledge of TCM. Only through correct syndrome differentiation and understanding of herbal medicine and disease can one avoid misconceptions and achieve health enhancement and disease prevention.